Visit the largest and wildest state park in California- Anza Borrego Desert State Park. As soon as you get to this park, you’ll feel like you’ve entered a different dimension. With tall metal sculptures, vast badlands, and narrow slot canyons there is plenty to see. Find out all the best things to do in Anza Borrego for your next trip!
I have had this state park on my bucket list, ever since I saw a picture of the sunrise at Fonts Point. When I finally made it, I understood what the hype 🙌🏻 was all about. There are tons of crazy natural formations in this sprawling desert.
At over 500 miles, this park can be very overwhelming. So, I created a guide of the highlights below to maximize your trip! This park is great for a day trip or a weekend spent camping. I hope you enjoy!
You Might Also Like These Posts:
- Everything You Need to Know About Anza Borrego
- California’s Grand Canyon: Fonts Point in Anza Borrego
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Table of Contents
Things to Do in Anza Borrego
1) See Wildflowers
Anza Borrego is known for being one of the best places in California to see the superbloom 🌸.
A superbloom takes place in the desert. This phenomenon happens every so often when seeds that have been dormant for a while begin to bloom. There are usually large populations of flowers that bloom around the same time. These superblooms only occur in Arizona and California, and it’s amazing to see them in person.
Flowers usually rise up along the desert floor from mid-March through sometime in mid-April. You can venture out around the valley to see them. But, remember to not trample on the flowers or pick any!
Even if the winter has been dry, you can usually see flowers pop up in the desert. However, it may be a smaller bloom than other years. But, it’s still worth visiting!
Best Places to See the Blooms 🌺
- Henderson Road
- Coyote Canyon
- Borrego Palm Canyon Trail
2) Hike through Slot Canyons
One of the best things to do in Anza Borrego is to hike through a slot canyon. This slot canyon is aptly named The Slot and is an easy walk. Slot canyons are narrow passageways created by water erosion 💦.
As you make your way over the beginning hill of the trail, you will get a view over the slot canyon below. From there, you will descend into The Slot, winding your way through the narrow crevices and staring up at the canyon walls above you. Some areas can get a little tight, but you can turn around at anytime.
This hike 🥾 is family friendly at just 2 miles along a fairly flat surface. It’s an out and back trail, so you have the option to turn around. But, the surface is sandy, so bring shoes that you do not mind getting sand in or on.
Although The Slot is a very popular destination in the park, it can be hard to find. You’ll need to turn off the main road onto a dirt road. There is just one very small sign that points towards it. I recommend putting it in your GPS before you go, or getting a detailed map 🗺 from the Visitor Center.
3) Visit Fonts Point
Often referred to as California’s Grand Canyon– Fonts Point is one of the most remarkable parts of this park.
People have claimed that Fonts Point is the prettiest place in the entire state to watch the sunrise 🌅. But, there’s only on way to find out, you have to go and see it for yourself.
Fonts Point is the ultimate lookout point over the Borrego Badlands that extend for miles beyond. These badlands were carved into the rock millions of years ago by water erosion. Narrow pathways twist and turn through the rocks creating spectacular formations 🤩.
In order to get to Fonts Point, you will need a 4WD vehicle 🚙 to drive the 4 mile dirt road. However, if you do not have one you can simply drive as far as you can and then walk the rest of the way to the point. We ended up walking 1 mile there and back, which was so worth it!
4) Admire the Sculptures
As you drive through Anza Borrego, you will begin to notice metal sculptures of various animals 🐘 popping up. It’s rather bizarre but captivating.
This area of the park is called Galleta Meadows, but it is spread out throughout much of the park. You can see various animals including elephants, dragons 🐉, and turtles.
You may be wondering why there are random metal sculptures in the desert, but it’s all thanks to two men. The owner of Galleta Meadows Estate, Dennis Avery, decided that he wanted to create sculptures on his large swath of land. So, he hired Ricardo Breceda to create these metal sculptures.
There are over 130 sculptures 🤯 throughout the park. So, you can spend time trying to see them all. Although Breceda claims he is done creating these sculptures, occasionally new ones pop up. It’s fun to walk amongst these large imposing statues.
5) Go Camping
One of the best parts about visiting Anza Borrego is sleeping under the stars 💫. It is part of an International Dark Sky Community and on a clear night you can see hundreds of stars above you.
Camping is a wonderful way to be close to things within the park. It’s also a great place for a family weekend adventure. You can choose from free camping or established campgrounds with fun activities and pools.
Anza Borrego is more than 500 square miles and allows dispersed camping. This means, that you can camp for free in the desert wilderness 🌵. So, set up your ideal campsite and enjoy time out in the wonderful landscape. You can read more about the guidelines for camping in Anza Borrego here.
Anza Borrego Info
How to Get to Anza Borrego
Anza Borrego is 90 minutes from San Diego in San Diego County and 3 hours from LA. It is far from most other towns or areas, so the best way to get there is to drive 🚗.
If you are driving from LA, then you can take I-15 South for about 85 miles. Then, you will get to Exit 58 for California 79. Continue on California 79S for about 60 miles before you will turn off onto CA 78, which will lead you into Anza Borrego.
It is a fairly simple drive from San Diego, but you will wind your way through the mountains. From San Diego, you can take California 94E for about 72 miles until it reaches CA 78E. Then, you can follow signs into the park.
Best Time to Go to Anza Borrego
Anza Borrego is in a desert region of California, which means it can get very hot 🥵.
The best times to go to Anza Borrego are from the late Fall through the early Spring (October-April). After that, temperatures rise quickly and it can be unsafe to be out in the sun ☀️.
During the spring, you can see the wildflowers bloom 🌻🌻 throughout the landscape. So, this is one of the most popular times to visit. There are plenty of areas that you can go within the park to get a glimpse at these beautiful blooms.
It rarely rains or snows in Anza Borrego, so you can expect to see sunny skies. No matter when you go, it’s important to always bring plenty of sunscreen and water to stay hydrated.
You can read more about my favorite gear here.
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 There is no entrance fee for Anza Borrego. However, if you want to park by the Visitor Center at the Borrego Palm Canyon trail, then there is a $10 fee a day.
☀️ Anza Borrego has an average of 270 sunny days a year. So, that means it is more than likely that you will see the sun on your trip. Temperatures can soar into the 100s and heat advisories are common in the summer. Be prepared for the desert conditions.
⛺️ You can camp or stay at lodges within the park. There are plenty of choices if you want to make your trip into Anza Borrego into a weekend adventure.
🐍 Like many desert areas, there are rattlesnakes within the park. If you see a snake, give it plenty of room and do not bother it. If you get bitten, stay calm, wash the bite, and try to call 911 or get a ranger.
🦮 Pets are allowed in the park, but must remain on a leash. They are not allowed on dirt hiking trails.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Where to Stay
In my opinion, the best option for staying in Anza Borrego is to camp ⛺️. There are plenty of free campsites throughout the park as well as areas to boondock. You can read all about camping in Anza Borrego on this post.
However, if you’d prefer the luxurious lifestyle, then there are a few hotels and resorts 🏨 to stay at in Borrego Springs. Borrego Springs is the town in the center of the park, which makes it easily accessible for most sights. These hotels often have pools and other good ammenities.
Hotels in Borrego Springs
Final Tips on Visiting Anza Borrego State Park
Anza Borrego is an incredibly large park, so it takes a lot of time to drive from one destination to another. Add more time into your plans then you think you need. It is also critical that you plenty of water as you explore. The desert can be brutal. However, I know that you’ll fall in love with this amazing landscape.
Let me know if you enjoyed this State park guide in the comments!
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Great blog post. Anza Borrego is one of our favorite places in SoCal!
It’s amazing!!
Your write up was very helpful in planning my first visit to Anza Borrego! Thank you!
I’m so glad!